faqs

Language proficiency: We take students from the high-intermediate level to the advanced level.  If you are not sure about your level, you can email iep@uga.edu and ask to take our online placement test. We do not take beginners. Age: You must be 18 years old to study in the IEP.  We are unable to accept students younger than 18 because UGA does not allow it. No one is too old to study in this program! Visa type: Full-time students should have an F-1 or J-1 visa. Part time students should have an F-2, J-1, or J-2 visa. Some other visa holders are also eligible to study. You should contact the director for more information.

Yes, if you are applying for an F-1 visa, we can provide an I-20. We can also provide DS-2019s for sponsored students who need to study on a J-1 visa.

If you have an F-1 visa, you must study full-time. If you have an F-2 visa, you must study part-time.  J-1 and J-2 visa holders can study full- or part-time. Part-time students study between 4 and 16 hours a week.

We arrange some trips and activities for our students—we usually have one trip every month. We ask students to pay for the cost of admission and part of the transportation cost.  We have gone to Six Flags Over Georgia, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Coca Cola Museum. We have gone kayaking, attended basketball games and baseball games and had picnics at the lake as well as several potluck dinners. UGA has many activities that students can take part in (usually at reduced cost admission). UGA is a very big university (35,000 students) so there are usually many different things to do every night including football games, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, concerts, plays, and many other fun activities. The IEP has a conversation table that meets at a local coffee shop or restaurant every week. We also have a conversation partner program to help our students meet American students.

Please click on program costs to find this information. The cost of a full-time program including tuition, fees, and most textbooks is less than $2300 for7.5 weeks based on 18 hours of instruction a week. Part-time tuition costs $400 per class for a class that meets 4 hours each week (for a total of 32 hours of instruction).  There is also an $80 registration fee.  The registration fee is paid once each session.  If you are the husband or wife of a UGA student and are paying your own tuition, you get a 25% discount on tuition and fees.

Your husband or wife and your children can come here as your dependents (usually with F-2 visas)

Many departments allow students who have completed level 6 of the IEP to waive the language proficiency requirement when applying to gradate programs.  This is in line with a state policy that states students can demonstrate their language proficiency by passing an approved English program like the UGA IEP.  Many students who have already been admitted to graduate programs at UGA choose to study in the IEP first to improve their English.

Yes, we can advise you about housing options, but we do not guarantee that we can find housing for you. However, there is a lot of housing available in Athens and Athens is not an expensive place to live, so most students are able to find a good place to live.

All full-time students must take four core classes: reading, writing, listening/speaking, and grammar.  In addition to the core classes, full-time students must take one or two elective classes.  Examples of elective classes are TOEFL prep, GRE prep, Debating, Speak English Like an American, etc.  The elective classes are called elective classes because they are classes that you choose.  However, you  must go to all of your classes, including elective classes, every day.  We take attendance at every class, so it is important for you to attend every class.

You must pass the classes in one level before moving to the next level.  You will receive a grade for every class you take, and all of your class grades will be averaged together to give you a Grade Point Average ( GPA).  Also, at the end of each session, you will have to take Level Exit Exams in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar. Moving from one level to the next level depends on meeting two criteria: 1) Passing your classes with a C average (A GPA of 2.0) AND 2) passing the Level Exit Exams.  If you are a part-time student, you must pass a class in one level before taking the same class in the next level.

We expect you to attend every class! There are no excused absences, even if you are sick. The U.S. government requires IEP students to attend more than 80% of their classes.  If you miss more than 20% of your classes, your SEVIS record (I-20) will be terminated.  We know that sometimes you may be ill or you might have to take care of something important, like taking a TOEFL test, and that is why you are allowed to miss up to 20% of your classes.  However, we expect you to be in class every day.  Many sponsors, like the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, expect you to attend at least 90% of your classes, and we must notify them immediately if a student’s attendance record drops below 90%.